Country Ass
by DmitriTrevelyan
Summary: The safety of the safe room is final, and so are Nick's feelings- so he thought? He looked at Ellis in a new light for once. Short ficlet, Nellis, T-13.


The safe room door shut with a click of finality, and a sigh of relief echoed throughout the room from the four survivors. Coach, Rochelle, Nick, and Ellis- the only ones they could find to band with were each other. They all had different backgrounds; manager of an auto shop, high school teacher, associate producer, and whatever the hell Nick did in his free time. Banded together by fate and perhaps the fact that it was a zombie apocalypse, they seem to have made a pretty darn good team.

Though, the problematic one was Nick. Usually loud-mouthed, smart-assed, and cocky, he stood in the corner of the safe house, quietly reloading his gun. He didn't notice the stares of the others with him as he checked his health pack, making sure he had pain pills with him. Where were the smart remarks? Smirking? Overall pessimism? The room seemed silent without it.

Coach glanced at Rochelle, reloading his gun, and Ellis decided to speak up. "Nick, uh, you alright there?" His southern twang seemed more caring as usual.

Nick glanced up, his dark eyes scanning the others. He didn't feel right. He'd seen something wrong out there, and that... thing was bothering him more than when he lost a round of poker he'd cheated at. He turned his gaze from Rochelle, to Coach, and to... Ellis. He felt himself soften up inside at the view of the country boy but suddenly reminded himself. What the hell was he doing? The apocalypse wasn't the time for this, ESPECIALLY not this. He couldn't detect these feelings, these were the feelings he usually felt about the occasional stripper he'd pick up before heading home, MAYBE the girl who won at the casino that night. Definitely not the slack jawed, bull-riding, attractive as hell, rough voiced... No. Goddamn it all Nicholas. What the absolute fuck.

"Nick."

Fuck it all, couldn't he just pay attention to the fucking zombies? No, he apparently couldn't. Where did his self control go? He was a ladies man. He wasn't going to put up with this. His heart raced a million beats a minute and he could feel himself getting redder. Control, Nick, control. Pokerface. You were fine. Just tell them you're fine.

"Niiiiiick."

Shit, his voice again. He couldn't even bring himself to look Ellis in the eyes. Instead he stared downwards, at his overalls... He chose to wore overalls during battle? Well, I guess he didn't exactly have a choice. I mean, Nick was stuck in his perfectly white, super expensive Friday night casino suit.. he couldn't even think about how much dirt had gotten on it already. Not to mention that repulsive boomer who decided it was a great time to vomit on them.

"Nick, what's wrong? You're red as shit, man."

Ellis's voice brought him back to reality. He couldn't take it any longer, it was going to drive him insane. Fuck that, he already felt insane. With an open-mouthed half smirk, he reached out to the farm boy and caught the loop on his overalls with his index finger, promptly pulling him forwards. With a small yelp, Ellis jerked forwards until he was close to Nick.

"Nick, what'reya-"

Before he could say anything else, Nick pressed his lips against Ellis's, enjoying the moment for all it was worth. He knew, knowing his sour luck, this would be the first and last time he would be able to try this. Who knew if Ellis would want to talk to him, let alone even look at him, after a bold move like this.

Ellis's eyes widened, feeling Nick's lips. He'd never let in on it, but this was his first kiss, if it wasn't obvious by the time it took Ellis to react. He closed his eyes slowly and felt himself move along with Nick's lips in the kiss, his hand reaching up without his consent and clutching onto Nick's sleeve. Nick took this as a way to proceed, wrapping his arm around Ellis's midsection. This just felt so... right to him. Unlike any lazy one night stand with someone who he's probably lucky he didn't catch an STD from. This was a warm feeling, something he hadn't had for a long time and didn't thing he'd find during an apocalypse.

He heard Rochelle gasp, as if the motion had surprised her, and Nick pulled away slowly to see how bad Ellis would react. Ellis simply smiled at him, almost as if in awe, the small innocence in him still maintained. He opened his mouth, about to respond, when Coach shrieked, shaking the entire safe house.

"BOOMER!"


End file.
